Headphones

I go through headphones like crazy. I mostly by cheap headphones, so I presume that’s a big part of the problem. But not always. I’m partial to over-the-ear headphones as the plain ear buds simply don’t stay in my ears.

Sony MDR-J11G Headphones

Philips SH J030 Headphones

I’ve had these Sony’s for a while, but even they tend to fall out of my ears when I run. They have a clip on them which helps a lot as it transfers most of the weight, but the clip broke months (a year?) ago. I’ve gone through a couple of similar sets that have failed, but this particular pair has lasted quite some time, other than the clip. More recently, I’ve started using something like these, though I’m not sure those are the specific ones. They have hinges on the behind-the-ear hooks, which help quite a bit. However, there isn’t enough tension and they still come loose when I run — particularly in my right ear.

Altec-Lansing UHP 307 Headphones

After I got my iPhone last year, I started looking for some over-the-ear headphones that also included a microphone. I found these Altec-Lansings at the Apple store and was actually very happen with them. They were comfortable for everyday use, allowed for phone conversations, and stayed in my ears when I ran. Also, the cord is nylon wrapped so I anticipated that they would be much sturdier than typical headphones. Apparently not, as they really didn’t last very long before one of the ears started failing due to a broken wire.

Altec-Lansing BackBeat 903 Bluetooth Headphones

For a while, I considered buying another set of the same headphones, but I was hesitant given how short-lived the previous pair had been for their cost. Finally, the iPhone 3.0 OS upgrade enabled bluetooth music and my quest changed to finding a set of over-the-ear bluetooth headphones with built-in mic. I found another set of Altec-Lansings that looked very promising. I’ve been quite happy with them, but I’m saving the deatails for a video blog that I’ve been meaning to do for weeks now. I will note that I haven’t tried running with them because I don’t run with my phone, so no bluetooth.

I think we’re less than 12 years away from implants that are reliable and safe. Maybe even a technology that goes in the outer ear vs subdermal that can provide sufficient quality without damage. I can think of many applications for it beyond music.
.-= whall´s last blog ..Take a break? Pshaw… =-.